Capsule for the study and treatment of the digestive tract



R. FELSON 3,485,235

CAPSULE FOR THE STUDY AND TREATMENT OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT Dec. 23, 1969Filed Dec.

INVENTOR, Ronald Felson ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 128-2 7Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The longitudinal expansion andcontraction of a swallowable telescopic plastic casing is accomplishedby heating an ether-filled bellows contained in said casing. The casingparts have openings acting as a valve so the casing is closed when incontracted condition, and open when expanded. The capsule so constitutedin contracted condition, is ingested empty or filled with a medicament.The passage of the capsule through the digestive tract is observed withan X-ray apparatus, and when it reaches a certain level, a heat isproduced in the patients body by electrical means creating a highfrequency magnetic field, which is controlled to operate the bellows toopen and close the casing. If the capsule used was empty, it willreceive a sample of the fluid of the digestive tract at the zone whereinthe capsule was operated. If the capsule used was originally laden witha medicament, the latter will be discharged into said tract, at theselected zone. Later, the capsule is recovered from the feces with theaid of a magnet. The bellows structure includes as its extensible,contractible member, a circumferentially corrugated steel foil tube.

The present invention relates to a capsule to be used for the clinical,physiological and physiopathological examination, study and treatment ofthe digestive tract and more particularly to a type which is easilyswallowed by the patient and then recovered in the feces. Its movementin the body can be observed by X-rays and it can be operated to extracta sample at any level in its travel, of the fluids in the zone ofinterest or it may carry some chemical or medicament to be dischargedinto such zone. Essentially, the construction of the capsule affords itsopening and closing by controlled radiant heat induced in the body.

Various complicated and costly capsule constructions have heretoforebeen suggested. Laden with room filling mechanism, leaving hardly anyavailable capacity for sample gathering or medicament carrying, andbeing slow in action, besides being expensive, hinders their adoption.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide anovel and improved construction for a capsule of the characterdescribed, which is simple in structure, easy and reasonable in cost tomanufacture, quick to assume open and closed condition and avoiding theobjectionable features mentioned, makes for eflicient accomplishment ofthe purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosureproceeds.

For one practice of this invention, part of the interior of aswallowable casing made up of two telescopicallyassociated shells, istaken up by a normally contracted, ether-filled bellows-form chamberwhose resilient, longitudinally extensible and contractible member is acircumferentially corrugated steel foil tube. One end of the bellows isfixed at the bottom of one of the shells, and its other end serves as aslidably fitted piston in such one shell, which is provided with an endwall so it is a cylinder structure for said piston. The piston rodextends slidably through such cylinder end, and its distal end extendsand is secured to the bottom of the other shell 3,485,235 Patented Dec.23, 1969 "ice which serves as a cap on the first one. Each shell atmouth end has openings. When the bellows is in contracted condition,which is the normal, said openings are non-communicative, and thecylinders interior is confined. But upon extension of the bellows, saidopenings come into registry. So these openings form a sort-of valveconstruction. Passage of the capsule, empty or containing a medicament,through the digestive tract, is observed by means of X-ray apparatus.The expansion and subsequent contraction of the bellows to open andclose the casing, is accomplished by controlled electrically inducedheat caused to occur in the patients body when the capsule has reached apredetermined zone in the digestive tract, whereupon the empty capsulewill receive a sample, and the initially laden capsule will have itscontents discharged. Later, the capsule is recovered in the feces withthe aid of a magnet.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a magnified, central elevational section showing a capsuleembodying the teachings of this invention, in closed condition, holdinga supply of a medicament.

FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. 1, shown only partly in section, but empty.

FIG. 3 is a view like FIG. 2, showing the capsule in open condition.

FIG. 4 is a section taken at line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

In the drawing, the capsule indicated generally by the numeral 15, ismade of the two telescopically associated shells 16 and 17, to form anexpandible and contractible envelope of swallowable size. The shell 16serves as a cap on the shell 17, while the latter is provided with anend wall 18 near its mouth, so it is a cylinder for the slidably fittedpiston 19, whose rod 20, extends slidingly through the cylinder end 18,to the floor of the cap shell 16, where it is secured at 21. To thefloor of the shell 17, is secured the lower end of a bellows-formchamber indicated generally by the numeral 22, comprised of acylindrical Wall 23, closed at both ends, as shown at 24, and the piston19 may serve as its top end; said cylindrical wall being a resilient,longitudinally expandable and contractible circumferentially corrugatedtube. The bellows chamber is filled with a gas as ether for instance,which quickly expands, when heated. The corrugated tube 23 is preferablymade of steel foil plated exteriorally with gold. The piston rod may beof fiberglass. The shells 16 and 17 may be of Teflon or other suitablematerial which is inert to the contents of the digestive tract and tochemicals and medicaments which in some instances are intended to becarried by the capsule in the space above the bellows chamber, anddischarged therefrom into said tract; said shells near month end, havingopenings, which register respectively when the bellows chamber expandsas shown in FIG. 3, but are noncommunicative when said bellows chamberis in its contracted condition, as shown in the FIGS. 1 and 2. Saidopenings in the cap 16, are indicated by the numeral 25, and in theother shell, by the numeral 26. Seals as 27, 27', 27" are provided tomaintain the openings non-communicative with the interior of the shell17, while the bellows 22 is in contracted condition. Said bellows insuch condition which is the normal, occupy about one-third of the shell17 in the embodiment illustrated, leaving the space which is shownvacant in FIG. 2, but in FIG. 1, it is shown containing a medicament 29.In expanded state, the bellows 22 reaches to about the openings 26. Thenumerals 21 and 28, denote suitable cement as Epoxy for example, toeffect assembly.

The capsule 15, is prepared in contracted condition, loaded as in FIG.1, when it is desired to discharge the medicament 29 into the digestivetract, or empty as in FIG. 2, when it is desired to have the capsulereceive a sample of the fluid in said tract. In use, the capsule isswallowed by the patient and its passage is observed by means of X-rays.When it has reached the desired zone in the digestive tract to beinvestigated or treated, heat is induced in the body by electricalgeneration so the capsule is heated sufficient to work on the bellows tocause expansion of the ether and hence the bellows expand to thecondition as shown in FIG. 3, whereupon the shells 16 and 17 will movein relation to each other to elongate the envelope they comprise, so theopenings 25 and 26 will become communicative. Used in this art to inducethe required heat for operation of the capsule, is apparatus creating ahigh frequency magnetic induction field which raises the temperature ofthe ferro-magnetic material, which here, is the corrugated tube 23. Saidheating apparatus and its manipulations and use, is well known in thisart, as well as the use of the X-ray apparatus, so further illustrationof explanation thereof is believed unnecessary.

If the capsule used is as in FIG. 1, then the medicament will bedischarged by action of the piston 19, into the digestive tract. If thecapsule used is as in FIG. 2, a sample of the fluids in the selectedzone of the tract, will be free to enter through said valve openings 25,26, into the space 30. In either case, upon removal of the heatinfluence, the bellows will contract, whereupon piston movement willcause a sucking in of tract fiuid into the shell 17, which is aided bythe slight vacuum caused by the pistons retraction. Later, the spent orladen capsule, as the case may be, is retrieved from the feces. Aid canbe had for this, by use of a magnet to attract the capsule, since itbellowss tube 23 is of ferrous material.

The capsule 15, when to be ingested empty as in FIG. 2, for gaining asample, may be prepared with its interior rarified by vacuum apparatus.This will insure in inrush of tract fluid when the capsule is extended,through the valve openings 25, 26.

Other suitable fillers for the bellows, are acetone, alcohol andmethylenechloride.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applicationswithout departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It istherefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown herein shallbe deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patentshall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being hadto the following claims rather than to the specific showing herein andthe description given, to indicate the scope of this invention.

1. In a swallowable capsule of the character described. an envelopeconsisting of two shells associated in slidable telescopic relation holestructure in at least one of the shells, so positioned that the interiorand exterior of the envelope are non-communicative, and as the shellsmove to expand the envelope, the opening provides fluid passage meansbetween the interior and exterior of the envelope, a bellows normally incontracted condition, positioned within the envelope; said bellowscomprising a longitudinally extensible and contractible tubular memberclosed by end elements, means securing the ends of said bellows to saidshells respectively, so that upon expansion of the bellows, the envelopewill expand and then upon contraction of said bellows, said envelopewill contract; at least part of said bellows being of a ferrous materialadapted to be heated by action of radiant energy generated externally ofthe capsule; said bellows being filled by a gas which readily expands,causing the bellows to expand, when said radiant energy is applied toinfluence said ferrous material.

2. A capsule as defined in claim 1, wherein said tubular member of thebellows is a circumferentially corrugated tube, which is longitudinallyresilient.

3. A capsule as defined in claim 2, wherein said tube is of steel foil.

4. A capsule as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the shells is a capon the second shell; said second shell having an end wall closing itsmonth end so that said second shell constitutes a cylinder; the meanssecuring the end element of the bellows to the cap, being a piston rodslidably mounted through said cylinder end wall, and said last mentionedend element of the bellows being a piston slidably fitted in saidcylinder; said hole being in the cylinder, near its end wall throughwhich the piston rod is positioned.

5. A capsule as defined in claim 4, wherein said tubular member of thebellows is a circumferentially corrugated tube which is longitudinallyresilient.

6. A capsule as defined in claim 4, wherein said tube is of steel foil.

7. A capsule as defined in claim 1, wherein the gas has the expansionand contraction properties of ether when heated and then cooled.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,057,344 10/ 1962; Abella et a1.128-2 3,118,439 1/1964 Perrenood l28-2 3,315,660 4/1967 Abella 1282WILLIAM E. KAMM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 128260

